What is collaborative robotics and how can it help companies?

In recent years, with the development of Industry 4.0, the productivity of small and medium-sized enterprises has increased. One of the reasons is linked to the automation of processes and the improvement of the relationship between humans and cobots, that is, the collaborative robotics. If you still do not know what Cobot is and the benefits that its implementation can bring to companies, we will detail it below.

What is a cobot or collaborative robot?

Cobots or collaborative robots are robots that work safely with humans, helping them in various tasks and processes. Unlike industrial robots, cobots are specifically designed to interact with humans in a common and productive space. Collaborative robots are created to perform any type of manual or repetitive work, as well as tasks that pose a risk to workers, such as handling heavy or sharp materials. This is very helpful as it reduces the chance of an accident in the workplace.

They communicate with humans thanks to the implementation of artificial vision, necessary to detect and interact with humans, in addition to the advancement of devices such as motion detectors. If the robot is interrupted in its work, it will go into safe mode, unlike a traditional robot.

Industry 4.0 and cobots

While the term Cobot may seem new, it really isn’t, as the first models are documented in the 1990s, from General Motors research projects in which humans gave machines autonomy, while cooperative robots provided direction and control of objects. Therefore, humans could control the movements of robots thanks to the capabilities of machines.

Currently, and with the development of adjacent technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, Data Processing and Hyperconnectivity, cobots are controlled to operate based on human programming without representing greater risk.

Instead of replacing humans with autonomous parts, cobots enhance capabilities like precision, information processing, or super strength, so humans can focus on creating more value for the organization. One of the goals of Industry 4.0.

Characteristics of cobots

Collaborative robots have some similarities to industrial robots. Instead, there are more differences and benefits that the implementation of cobots in any company brings.

Cobots differ from traditional or automated robots in certain characteristics:

• Compact: They are generally small in size and therefore can be used in most production processes.
• Flexible: Unlike traditional robots that always carry out the same action because they are usually configured to perform a single process, cobots can easily learn new operations and can therefore be used at different stages of the manufacturing process.
• Mobile: Unlike industrial robots, which have to be installed in safe areas with different protection measures for the worker, cobots are highly portable and can perform new tasks in different places within a company.
• Easy setup and programming: Unlike traditional robots that require a complex programming process that can take days or weeks, cobots, with mobile apps and software, can be up and running in a short amount of time.
• Economic: collaborative robots are not as expensive as traditional robots, in which a large budget must be invested and whose investment requires years to be amortized. In this sense, cobots are cheaper, both in terms of their programming and installation processes. This allows the return on investment to be short-term.

For all these characteristics, it is important to point out that cobots are a great tool for small and medium-sized companies. Unlike traditional robots that have been created to carry out their work in large companies with complex production processes.

Advantages of using cobots in any industry

In addition to the benefits mentioned above, it is very important to note that using cobots has a positive effect on employees.

Collaborative robots are also known as human-centric robots because they help make the work they do easier and more bearable. They free operators from dangerous, boring, mechanical or repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus more on human tasks.

This also affects the motivation and happiness of the worker, as it allows him to leave room for creativity and reflection in management to find improvements and solutions for the company.

In addition, cobots help achieve the maximum number of objectives with the minimum cost by reducing the probability of errors.